UPDATES TO THE LAWS OF THE GAME FOR 2025/26

​There are a couple of amendments to the laws of the game to be aware of as the 2025/26 campaign gets underway.

This season, if a goalkeeper has control of the ball with their hand(s)/arm(s) for more than eight seconds, the referee will now award a corner kick (rather than an indirect free kick) on the side of the field closest to the goalkeeper’s position when penalised. There is no disciplinary action unless the goalkeeper repeatedly commits the offence.

Referees have been instructed to count down the last five seconds of the eight-second restriction with their hand raised above their head to make it clear to the goalkeeper how long they have to release the ball.

The other law change worth bearing in mind is the adoption of ‘Only the captain’ protocol. The idea is to strengthen respect between players and referees by formalising that only the team captain may approach the referee to discuss key decisions. It is hoped this will reduce incidents of mobbing, dissent, and intimidation of match officials.

Captains are also responsible for ensuring that their team-mates stay away from the referee during these moments, and a “captain-only zone” of 4 metres will be established around the referee, with no other players permitted within this area. Any non-captain entering this zone should be cautioned for dissent by action. If multiple players enter, at least one must be cautioned, and the incident will be reported to the relevant authorities. If the goalkeeper is the team captain, an outfield player must be nominated to fulfil this role for referee interactions.
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This protocol will be implemented consistently across all competitions.